When it comes to celebrating Christmas, everyone has their own unique traditions; and certainly, Christmas memories differ from year to year! Here are some favorite Christmas memories from different students on our campus:
Alexandria “Lexie” Dunham (freshman, psychology)
I think one of my favorite memories is when my family and I went to downtown Chicago a little before Christmas. They would have huge Christmas trees with tons of lights, lots of little snowflakes, and reindeer displays! I also loved when we would get milkshakes and drive around looking at people’s Christmas lights on their houses while listening to Christmas music. Just being with my family and looking at all the lights together was so much fun!
Dallas Dunn (sophomore, public health)
I think my favorite Christmas memory is when I got to have a big Christmas party with my close friends. We ordered food, played some games, and did Secret Santa. My family usually travels during winter so it’s not something I usually get to do. I really appreciated getting to see them at that time of year.
Sarah Page (junior, social work)
I remember when I was 4, my parents made little reindeer prints in our front yard and had me convinced that reindeer had come by to visit us. Another time, my parents made me dress up as Santa on Christmas Eve, knock on my sister’s window, and run down the street just to surprise her. It was hilarious!
Dongchan Kim (senior, religion)
The AUSA Christmas party two years ago (2019) is my favorite memory. One of the reasons it was so memorable is because I still have a polaroid photo from the event. Great company and a lot of fun––it was exceptional!
Aubreyanna Scollard (freshman, data science)
My favorite Christmas memory is probably watching the movie “Christmas Shoes” with my grandma before she passed away. We spent Christmas together every year, and honestly, she loved that movie more than the rest of my family did––even though it made her cry every time we watched it. I miss her a lot.
Jesse Bland (senior, aviation)
My favorite Christmas memory has to be as a kid, wrapping presents for my mom. My dad, my sister, and I would always try to come up with fun ways to surprise her. For example, one year we gave her an iPhone in a 4-foot by 4-foot box!
Christopher Adams (freshman, computer science)
One Christmas, I unexpectedly came home to find my grandparents casually sitting on our couch. Turns out they had surprised us by flying in from California to celebrate Christmas with us in Texas! We don’t get to see my mom’s side of the family a lot because they live so far, so that was a special memory. Also, spending Christmas with my dogs is also always great––just have to add that.
Jheanna Rattray (junior, psychology)
One year, when I was little, I really wanted to add a nativity scene to our home’s Christmas decorations. I got out my baby dolls and even a basket for the doll that was playing Jesus. What was great, though, was when my mom brought me an entire bale of hay to use for the scene. It was so big you could even sit on it!
Akya “Ky” Waller (senior, art therapy)
My favorite Christmas memories have always been when my family gets together and plays a game called White Elephant. Essentially, we all get random gifts and can steal them from each other without knowing if it is a “good” gift or not. It causes a lot of laughter and fun. One time, one person got toilet paper and another got a remote-controlled poop emoji. It was ironic because the gifts went to the two gassiest people in our family!
Braeden Peterson (freshman, engineering)
A fun Christmas memory I have is that one year when my siblings and I were younger,
my family left our Christmas tree up for over a year between multiple Christmases. When my siblings and I were younger, we thought it would be fun to leave the tree up all year. We decorated it for different holidays throughout the year; it was pretty fun.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.